AC Biode
AC Biode is a Japan-Luxembourg cleantech startup developing proprietary low-temperature catalytic technologies for plastic recycling, green hydrogen production, CO2 capture, and bio-based materials, serving enterprise manufacturers, utilities, and government bodies through pilots and licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What AC Biode does
AC Biode is a Japan-Luxembourg cleantech startup founded in 2019 that develops a portfolio of proprietary green chemical technologies targeting plastic recycling, hydrogen production, CO2 capture, advanced batteries, and bio-based materials. Its flagship Plastalyst platform uses a low-temperature (below 200°C), solvent-free catalytic chemolysis process to depolymerize difficult-to-recycle plastics (PE, PET, PVC, PP, multi-layered, and e-waste) into monomers, while Steam Pyrolyst converts organic and plastic waste into green hydrogen at claimed costs below 2€/kg. Complementary products include the AC Battery System using a patented biode electrode, Reco Glass for CO2-to-glass conversion, PFAS-free Fluorine-Free repellent materials, and AC BioSAP, a bio-based super-absorbent polymer co-developed with Kyoto Research Institute.
The company operates a dual-headquarters structure with a European base in Luxembourg and primary R&D in Kyoto, alongside offices in Tokyo and operations extending to Indonesia and Ukraine. AC Biode earns revenue through a mix of pilot program fees, grant funding (e.g., Rp3.3 billion from East Ventures/Temasek Foundation in 2024), technology licensing of catalyst processes, and planned commercialization of AC Battery hardware and Steam Pyrolyst plant deployments. Customers to date are large enterprise and government entities including Bosch Corporation (Japan), DaikyoNishikawa (automotive), Indonesia's state utility PLN, and Ukraine's Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, all engaged through pilots or MoUs rather than disclosed commercial-scale contracts.
AC Biode firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AC Biode
- Legal name
- AC Biode
- Website
- https://acbiode.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- AC Biode is a Japan-Luxembourg cleantech startup developing proprietary low-temperature catalytic technologies for plastic recycling, green hydrogen production, CO2 capture, and bio-based materials, serving enterprise manufacturers, utilities, and government bodies through pilots and licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AC Biode industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cleantech Chemical Recycling and Sustainable Materials
- NAICS
- Resin and Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing (32521), Chemical Manufacturing (325)
- SIC
- Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821), Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biodegradable Polymers & Resins (PLA, PHA, PBS, PBAT) (IMAEAOAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bio-based & Biodegradable Polymer Resin Manufacturing (PLA, PHA, PBS, PBAT) (IMANANAA), Bio-Based & Biodegradable Compounds (PLA/PHA/Starch Blends) (IMANABAF), Biofuels & Renewable Fuels Switching (Biomethane/RNG, Bio-oils, Sustainable Biomass) (EUABAJAD), Bio-based Resins, Adhesives, Coatings & Sealants (EUAAAIAG)
Keywords
Where AC Biode is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices5 records
Markets served
AC Biode business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Plastalyst Catalyst Licensing and Deployment: Licensing chemical catalyst technology to large manufacturers and industrial partners for plastic recycling. Conducting paid proof-of-concept projects with research institutes and large materials companies. Revenue from catalyst supply, process licensing, and technical services.
- AC Battery System Commercialization: Patented AC battery technology targeting EV manufacturers and energy storage applications. Technology remains at least five years from market deployment. Currently in prototype stage with collaborations with leading EV manufacturers.
- Steam Pyrolyst Plant Deployment: Building hydrogen demonstration plant in Indonesia with partners PLN and Temasek Foundation. Revenue model based on plant deployment, technology licensing, and hydrogen/methane production. Produces green hydrogen or methane from waste feedstocks.
- Technology Services and Pilot Programs: Conducting pilot projects and proof-of-concept programs with corporate partners (Bosch, DaikyoNishikawa) and government bodies. Revenue from grant funding, pilot program fees, and technical consulting services.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
AC Biode product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AC Biode develops and licenses proprietary chemical catalyst and material technologies targeting plastic recycling, green hydrogen production, carbon capture, and advanced energy storage. Its portfolio centers on Plastalyst low-temperature depolymerization catalysts, Steam Pyrolyst for waste-to-hydrogen conversion, and the AC Battery System with biode electrode technology, sold or licensed to industrial manufacturers, energy utilities, governments, and mobility customers.
Product overview
AC Biode is a Japan-Luxembourg cleantech company developing a portfolio of green chemical technologies organized around chemical recycling (Plastalyst, Pyrolyst, Steam Pyrolyst), energy storage (AC Battery System), carbon capture (Reco Glass), and advanced materials (Fluorine-Free, AC BioSAP). The portfolio is centered on Plastalyst catalysts for low-temperature plastic depolymerization and Steam Pyrolyst for hydrogen production from waste, with the AC Battery System providing complementary energy storage capabilities for e-mobility applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Plastalyst: Chemical catalysts for low-temperature depolymerization of plastic waste, breaking down polymers to monomers below 200°C in solvent-free process for circular economy
- Reco Glass
- AC Battery System
- Pyrolyst
- Steam Pyrolyst
- Fluorine-Free
- AC BioSAP
Products and services
- Plastalyst Award-winning chemical catalyst technology that decomposes plastic waste at temperatures below 200°C through a solvent-free chemolysis (hydrolysis) process, depolymerizing difficult-to-recycle plastics including PE, PET, PVC, PP, mixed plastics, and multi-layered materials into monomers. Also recovers metals from e-waste without oxidation and breaks down matrix materials from carbon fiber composites. Sold/licensed to industrial manufacturers and used in paid proof-of-concept projects with research institutes and large materials companies.
- Reco Glass
Quantifiable outcome
- 15% higher efficiency and double the lifespan compared to conventional DC lithium-ion batteries
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use AC Biode
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AC Biode technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
AC Biode partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supportive and minor.
- Kyoto Research Institute (KRI)coreJoint development of AC BioSAP - fully bio-based and biodegradable super-absorbent polymer. KRI collaborated on developing the patented one-step process using biomaterials.
- Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)coreJETRO organized Japan Pavilion at World Hydrogen Summit 2026 where AC Biode exhibited; JETRO supported AC Biode participation for third consecutive year.
- UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)supportiveUNIDO signed grant agreements with 47 Japanese companies including AC Biode for feasibility studies to test innovative technologies with Ukrainian partners as part of Green Industrial Recovery project for Ukraine.
- PLN (Perusahaan Listrik Negara)coreBuilding first hydrogen demonstration plant in Indonesia with PLN (state electricity company) and Temasek Foundation. Collaboration for clean energy transition using Steam Pyrolyst technology.
- AitoztechcorePartner for Steam Pyrolyst technology development; exhibited together at World Hydrogen Summit 2026 focusing on the new Steam Pyrolyst system.
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of JapansupportiveSupported AC Biode participation in Japan-Ukraine Economic Reconstruction Promotion Forum 2025; METI organized forum alongside JETRO and Ukrainian government ministries.
- DaikyoNishikawa Inc.corePilot program selected under theme 'Developing new products to achieve decarbonization and a circular economy' using precious-metal-free catalyst for automotive materials recycling.
- EVOLENsupportiveJoined EVOLEN' UP membership organization bringing together energy sector companies; benefits from support of major industrial players (Cetim, Veolia, TotalEnergies, Viridien, SLB, Saipem, Subsea7, GTT, IFP Energies nouvelles, Technip Energies, TechnipFMC).
- Bosch Corporation (Japan)coreJoint proof-of-concept with Kanagawa Prefecture to eliminate landfills and incineration by testing recycling of difficult wastes (PET, PBT, PVC, nylon, textile, PA, organic waste, foam urethane, etc.). Proof-of-concept started November 2024 for approximately 6 months.
- Kanagawa PrefecturesupportiveJapanese prefectural government providing support for the joint AC Biode-Bosch waste recycling proof-of-concept project.
- Ukraine Ministry of Agrarian Policy and FoodcoreMoU signed in presence of Prime Ministers of Japan and Ukraine for agricultural waste recycling into renewable energy and instant houses for temporary housing.
- J-Startup KansaisupportiveAC Biode selected as one of five promising startups in Kansai region as J-Startup KANSAI company for regional startup ecosystem support.
- Cambridge CleantechsupportiveAC Biode joined Cambridge Cleantech to expand network, collaborations, and pilot testing opportunities in UK and Europe.
- Plug and Play JapansupportiveSelected by Alliance to End Plastic Waste and Plug and Play Japan; participated in Expo by AEPW and Plug and Play in Shibuya, Tokyo. Also selected for smart cities batch of Plug and Play Thailand/APAC.
- Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW)supportiveSelected for Expo by AEPW and Plug and Play Japan; Plastalyst pitched at startup Expo focused on eliminating plastic waste.
- InnoEnergysupportivePartner for The Business Booster (TBB) event by InnoEnergy where AC Biode showcased CircuLite and AC battery systems alongside 150 sustainable energy startups.
- Solar Impulse FoundationsupportiveAC Biode's chemical catalysts awarded and labeled as Efficient Solution by Solar Impulse Foundation; exhibiting at ChangeNow Paris via Solar Impulse Foundation.
- Tech4GoodsupportiveSelected for Tech4Good Global Challenge #1: Energy for Ukraine among 75 companies responding globally; 7 projects selected for energy innovations catalogue.
- Osaka UniversitysupportivePublished article on catalytic activity of zeolite on LDPE cracking with Osaka University; Osaka University with Plastalyst won award at Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan conference.
- Cleantech GroupsupportiveFeatured in Cleantech Group's debut quarterly 'Companies to Watch' list highlighting innovative APAC sustainability companies.
- HolonIQsupportiveNamed among Top 100 ClimateTech Startups in Indo-Pacific region by HolonIQ.
- Professor Keisuke Kitagawa (Nagoya Institute of Technology)supportiveInstant houses technology developed by Professor Kitagawa combined with AC Biode's Plastalyst for Ukraine reconstruction - houses can be chemically recycled into energy when no longer needed.
- AfricInvestminorAC Biode invited to pitch CircuLite with AfricInvest, Kyoto, and others at Daitoku-ji temple in Kyoto.
- MondisupportiveWon Mondi Challenge by PITCCH; started feasibility study of ash upcycling with Mondi, PITCCH, and BEST in Austria.
- Daido Sustainability InitiativesupportiveSelected by Daido Sustainability Initiative by Daido Life Insurance Company in Japan and Plug and Play Japan.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
AC Biode competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Enerkem: Canadian company operating gasification-based waste-to-chemicals facilities producing methanol and hydrogen from mixed municipal and industrial waste. Comparable waste-to-hydrogen and chemicals technology counterpoint to AC Biode's Steam Pyrolyst.
- Bloom Biorenewables: Swiss startup producing bio-based polymers and resins from forestry and agricultural feedstocks using proprietary chemistries. Comparable early-stage peer in bio-based materials with similar catalyst licensing outlook to AC Biode.
- Aduro Clean Technologies: Canadian cleantech developing Hydrochemolytics low-temperature chemical recycling for plastics. Closest emerging-stage pure-play peer to AC Biode's Plastalyst and Steam Pyrolyst low-temperature catalytic approach.
Direct peers
- Carbios: French cleantech company developing enzymatic depolymerization technology for PET and plastic-waste recycling. Highly comparable to AC Biode's Plastalyst catalyst for plastic-to-monomer recycling, both targeting licensing models with major packaging and textile brands.
- NatureWorks: World's largest PLA producer (Ingeo bioresin) and a joint venture between Cargill and PTT, supplying bio-based polymers to packaging, hygiene, and consumer-goods markets. Closest scaled analog to AC BioSAP's bio-based, biodegradable polymer portfolio.
- Plastic Energy: UK/Spain-based company operating commercial pyrolysis plants that convert mixed plastic waste into oil feedstock for new plastics. Directly comparable to AC Biode's Pyrolyst and Plastalyst thermal/catalytic plastic recycling platforms serving the same end customers.
- Novamont: Italian bioplastics pioneer producing Mater-Bi starch-based biodegradable resins for packaging, agriculture, and retail bags. Closest European peer in bio-based polymer chemistry targeting the same circular-economy customers AC Biode is approaching.
- Danimer Scientific: US-based producer of Nodax PHA bioplastic for compostable packaging, straws, and personal-care applications. Comparable early-commercial player in bio-based biodegradable polymers directly competitive with AC BioSAP in the SAP and bio-based polymer niche.
Broad incumbents
- Eastman Chemical: Large US specialty chemicals company operating commercial-scale methanolysis-based chemical recycling of PET (Eastman Renew). Sets the benchmark incumbent scale against which AC Biode's Plastalyst licensing model must compete.
- BASF: Global chemicals major with bioplastics lines including Ecovio PBAT/PLA blends and extensive catalysis R&D. Comparable as a large incumbent offering overlapping chemistries across biopolymers and hydrogen catalysts that AC Biode operates in.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AC Biode social profiles
Digital presenceAC Biode financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AC Biode leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
AC Biode funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AC Biode M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AC Biode
What does AC Biode do?
AC Biode develops and licenses proprietary chemical catalyst and material technologies targeting plastic recycling, green hydrogen production, carbon capture, and advanced energy storage. Its portfolio centers on Plastalyst low-temperature depolymerization catalysts, Steam Pyrolyst for waste-to-hydrogen conversion, and the AC Battery System with biode electrode technology, sold or licensed to industrial manufacturers, energy utilities, governments, and mobility customers.
Is AC Biode a public or private company?
AC Biode is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was AC Biode founded?
AC Biode was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is AC Biode based?
AC Biode is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does AC Biode make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Plastalyst Catalyst Licensing and Deployment is the primary driver. The others are AC Battery System Commercialization, steam Pyrolyst Plant Deployment and technology Services and Pilot Programs.
Who are AC Biode's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Enerkem, Bloom Biorenewables and Aduro Clean Technologies. Direct peers are Carbios, NatureWorks, Plastic Energy, Novamont and Danimer Scientific. Broad incumbents are Eastman Chemical and BASF.
Does AC Biode have an API?
No public API is recorded for AC Biode.
What industry is AC Biode in?
AC Biode's product category is Cleantech Chemical Recycling and Sustainable Materials. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAOAA, Biodegradable Polymers & Resins (PLA, PHA, PBS, PBAT), with a secondary code of IMANANAA, Bio-based & Biodegradable Polymer Resin Manufacturing (PLA, PHA, PBS, PBAT). Its NAICS code is 32521 and its SIC code is 2821.